Brown Butter Butternut Squash & Sage Pasta

This cozy pasta wraps you in all the best flavors of autumn — sweet roasted butternut squash, nutty browned butter, and crispy fried sage leaves that shatter with every bite. It comes together in about 40 minutes and tastes like something you'd order at a little Italian trattoria. Perfect for a weeknight when you want something comforting but still a little special.

✨ An original recipe written by AI — not kitchen-tested, so trust your taste on seasoning & timing.

Ingredients

• 1 lb rigatoni or penne pasta
• 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 16 leaves fresh sage
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add squash cubes in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes until golden on one side, then stir and cook another 4 minutes until tender. Transfer to a plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add butter to the same skillet. Once it melts and starts to foam, add the sage leaves in a single layer. Fry for 60-90 seconds until the leaves are crisp and the butter turns golden-brown and smells nutty. Remove sage leaves with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel.
4. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes to the brown butter and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute until fragrant and just barely golden.
5. Return the cooked squash to the pan and use a fork to gently mash about half of it into the butter, leaving the rest in chunks for texture.
6. Add the drained pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet. Toss everything together over medium heat, adding more pasta water a splash at a time until a light, glossy sauce coats the pasta.
7. Remove from heat, stir in the Parmesan and nutmeg, and taste for seasoning. Serve topped with the crispy sage leaves and extra Parmesan.

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